What Makes Coach Amy so Unique?
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Coach Amy of Personal Best is unique in her knowledge, experience and coaching style.
Expertise and Knowledge
Amy is a certified coach, but her knowledge and expertise of running is enhanced to a greater degree from her education in running biomechanics and physiology that she has honed as a physical therapist for the last 20 years. Amy is a licensed physical therapist and specializes in injury prevention and treatment of endurance athletes, especially runners. She analyzes running gait, evaluates and treats injured triathletes and runners every day in her practice at Sport and Spine.
Experience and Passion
Amy's passion for running began in elementary school when she ran her first half mile in a tight pair of jeans around the playground wearing a shirt that said, "girls can do anything boys can do...better." This love of running continued to grow as she ran track and cross country through high school and for a short stint as a walk on in college. She picked it up once again in earnest as a member of Personal Best with Steve Hinman as her coach. She has run several marathons including Chicago and Boston. She has personal experience with almost every running injury including a hip labral tear which she says "allows me to empathize with runners as a coach and therapist."
Coaching Style
Amy is an accessible, approachable and giving coach. While she has strong opinions and a particular philosophy about running and training, she recognizes that every runner is different so one coaching style and training plan doesn't fit all. She excels at modifiying her style for each runner. One runner may need an "in your face, no sugar coating" approach while another may need something more gentle with analogies and stories to get a message across. Others like lots of technical details and answers and some like to do their own thing with little to no interference - kind of an as needed coach. "Figuring out what's best for each runner and then watching them excel...that's my favorite part."
Expertise and Knowledge
Amy is a certified coach, but her knowledge and expertise of running is enhanced to a greater degree from her education in running biomechanics and physiology that she has honed as a physical therapist for the last 20 years. Amy is a licensed physical therapist and specializes in injury prevention and treatment of endurance athletes, especially runners. She analyzes running gait, evaluates and treats injured triathletes and runners every day in her practice at Sport and Spine.
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| Amy with her 4x800 team in High School (we are NOT going to tell you the year). |
Amy's passion for running began in elementary school when she ran her first half mile in a tight pair of jeans around the playground wearing a shirt that said, "girls can do anything boys can do...better." This love of running continued to grow as she ran track and cross country through high school and for a short stint as a walk on in college. She picked it up once again in earnest as a member of Personal Best with Steve Hinman as her coach. She has run several marathons including Chicago and Boston. She has personal experience with almost every running injury including a hip labral tear which she says "allows me to empathize with runners as a coach and therapist."
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| Amy coaching at a spring speed session. |
Amy is an accessible, approachable and giving coach. While she has strong opinions and a particular philosophy about running and training, she recognizes that every runner is different so one coaching style and training plan doesn't fit all. She excels at modifiying her style for each runner. One runner may need an "in your face, no sugar coating" approach while another may need something more gentle with analogies and stories to get a message across. Others like lots of technical details and answers and some like to do their own thing with little to no interference - kind of an as needed coach. "Figuring out what's best for each runner and then watching them excel...that's my favorite part."